Method of making signs on mirrors.



P. ANDERSON.

METHOD OF MAKING SIGNS 0N MIRRORS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1911.

1. 053;937. Patented Feb. 18 1913.

UNITED STATES PATE T oEEIcE.

PETER ANDERSON, REVERE,

MAS SACHUSETTS, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF TO HARRY A. OLSON, OF REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF MAKING SIGNS ON MIRRORS.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Revere, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Methods of Making Signs on Mirrors, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, 1s a specification, like ,characters on the drawing representing like parts;

This invention has for its object to provide a novel method of making a sign which isassociated with a mirror or other reflecting surface so that the sign will appear on the back side of the mirror and be v slble from the front of the mirror.

In making my improved mirror I apply to one surface of a sheet of glass or other a transparent material a reflecting material in liquid form and while the reflecting ma terial is still in its liquid state and before it is dried I apply to the glass a die or im pression member having on its face an impression of the sign or ornamentation to be produced. This die or impression member when applied to the lass will displace the reflecting material and the impression memher is held in its position on the glass until the reflecting material becomes hard.- When the die is removed the portions of the glass with which the face of the die contacted will be free from reflecting material and consequently transparent, while the other parts of the glass will have the reflecting material applied thereto. The front face of the glass will have the appearance of a mirror except at the points where the-die member contacted with the glass and these points will present the sign or configura 10 tion which it is desired to produce. The portion of the lass bearing the design may be left perfectfy transparent or a backing of different colors may be applied thereto according to the effect desired to be pro- 7 duced.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a sheet of glass or other transparent material provided on one face with a coating of refiectmg material; Fig. 2 is an edge view of While the reflecting Serial No. 633,498.

Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows the glass'with the impression die applied thereto; Fig. 4 is a View of the completed sign; Fig. 5 is a face view of the die member.

In carrying out my inventionI take a piece 'of glass 1 of. any suitable shape and size and then apply to one face thereof a coating 2 of reflecting material in, liquid form. Anysuitable-reflecting material may be employed, but I will preferably use nitrate of silver or some other similar material which can be applied in liquid form, but which will readily dry and become hard. material 2 is still in liquid or semi-liquid or plastic state,I apply to the coated face of the glass a die or impression member 3 which has on its face the design 4 which it is desired to reproduce. I find good results can be secured by using an impression member which has a more or less flexible impression surface, such, for instance, as would be provided by a rubber stamp. I also find that where arubber stampis used it is desirable to have the stamp heated before applying it to the sign. This can be readily done by immersing the rubber stamp in hot water. I have found from experiments that the use of hot water for heating the rubber die or stamp has decided advantages, for when the stamp is thus heated in hot water it is still moist when it is applied to the sign, and In demonstrations have shown that when the die is applied to the sign in a moist condition it will make and leave a much sharper and clearer outline. to the ornamentation than if it is not moistened when it is so applied. If the sign to' be produced is merely certain words, then the die or impression member 3 will have engraved on its face the letters comprising said words, or the die may have engraved on its face any ornamentation or other design to be produced. In making the die 3 the letters or other ornamentation are raised from the surface of the die and the letters or desi should be so formed that the face of the die presents the letters or rect position and not perverted, as is the case with the ordinary stamp or type. For instance, in the drawings illustrated the design to be produced is' P. Anderson and the die member 3 will be formed with these words on its face, .so that they will read as shown in'Fig. 5.

Specification of letters Patent. Patented Feb. 18, 1913. Application filed June 16, 1911.

design in their cor- The die member is applied to the coated face of the. glass 1 while the coating 2 of reflecting material is still in its liquid state, and this die member is pressed firmly against the glass, and in doing so the raised v portion or design thereon will cut through and displace the coating material 2 so that the raised portions will come directly against the glass 1. The die member is firmly held in this position until the coating 2 is thoroughly dried and hardened, and then when the die member removed the portions of the glass against which the raised portions 4 of the die member rest will be free from reflecting material and consequently transparent, while the other portions of the glass will be covered with reflecting material and will act as a mirror. The result will be that. when the face 5 of the glass is presented the sign or design produced by the diemember will show as a transparent portion of a mirror.

If desired a coating of any colored paint or varnish may be applied to the back of a mirror in which case the lettering or design of the sign will appear in color through the mirror. Better results can be obtained if a coating of turpentine 'is first applied -to the back of the mirror and then the varnish or paint applied over the turpentine coating.

My invention can be applied to a great variety of uses.

It may be used for ornaproducing advertising or other signs.

It will be seen from the above that the invention is very simple and can be easily carried out, and that by means of it a very attractive sign can be produced. I

I am aware that ithas been heretofore proposed to ornament mirrors by applying a stencil to the coated back of the mirror and then removing the portions of the coat- I ing which are exposed by the stencil, and

further that it. has been proposed to ornamentglass or mirrors by using a stencil and painting onto theback of the mirrorthrough the stencil the pigment or other coloring matter. My invention is to be. distinguished from these methods because in carrying out my method the silver backing is applied in a liquid form and while it is still liquid the impression member is forced firmly against the coated face of the mirror, and by this process cuts through the backing which is not-yet hard and forces it out from under the impression face of said member so that the backing is removed from the glass by the pressure of the die or impression member. The impression member is held in firm contact with the mirror until the backing is thoroughly hard and then it is removed to leave the unbacked portions of mirror.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The process of making signs on mirrors which consists in coating one face of a glass with reflecting material in liquid form and while the reflecting material is still in liquid form applying to said face a hot moist rubber impression member having the sign to be produced in raised portions thereon, pressing said member firmly against said face to cause the raised portions to displace the reflecting material, allowing said impression member to remain in contact with said coated face until the reflecting material has become hard and then removing said impression member.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS C. SMrrH, THOMAS J. DRUMMOND. 

